Page 50 of Knight Life In Vegas

“Let’s get you into your nest.”

Chico and Dylan hovered.

“Sammy, where’s her bedroom?”

The child led us to the end of the hall, swinging the door open to reveal a painfully plain room. Besides a couple of extra pillows on her bed, it didn’t even look like an omega lived here. Why didn’t she have a real nest?

I settled her on the bed and her fingers curled into my shirt. “What… What are you doing here?”

“Taking care of you. When was the last time you ate something?”

She shrugged halfheartedly.

It was nearly nine at night, so it was likely at least one meal had been skipped if she didn’t remember which was her last.

“Chico, Dylan.” They were both right behind me. “Rest with her. I’m going to make sure everyone is fed.”

As much as I wanted to climb in with her myself, Chico could burn water, and Dylan’s main specialty was anything on toast. She needed something more substantial.

I almost tripped over Sammy and Ollie when I turned around to find them right there.

“Are we having a family nap?” Ollie asked.

“Family nap sounds great,” I replied. “Why don’t you climb in and I’ll make you something to eat?”

They clambered over Charlotte’s prone form, and I winced at the thought of little feet, knees, and elbows driving into her as they got settled.

Her scent was already starting to soften when everyone crowded around her, drawing a blanket up so she was safely cocooned. Chico and Dylan were purring away, Charlotte’s own purr crackling and stuttering in response.

I turned from the room, faced immediately with the reality of her apartment. Toys littered every surface, a half-folded basket of laundry on her couch, bowls of what looked like the remnants of boxed mac and cheese on the living room floor. This was the best way for me to deal with a crisis. Doing things with my hands helped me focus.

I opened every cabinet so I could see where everything belonged, unloaded her dishwasher, and then loaded every dirty dish I could find in the apartment, turning it on even though it was only partially full. Better to get everything clean as soon as possible.

Next, I scrubbed down her counters and unused portions of the stove. She had all the ingredients for a decent breakfast for dinner, and that was always a crowd-pleaser. I spread a package of bacon onto a cookie sheet and shoved it in the oven to cook while I whipped up a batch of sheet pan pancakes before scrambling some eggs. I bundled the cooked eggs into a little casserole dish and tucked them into the oven alongside thebacon and pancakes, leaving me with more time to get this place into order.

While I tidied, I learned about the tenacity of the omega who had been haunting my dreams. She obviously tried her best. A place like this with small kids could get overwhelmed so quickly, but it wasn’t filthy. I knew what growing up with little boys was like and the kind of messes they made. When Charlotte woke, I wanted her to feel relaxed, not like she had a mountain of chores waiting for her the moment she felt well enough to stand.

Dylan emerged nearly an hour later.

“How’s she doing?”

“Improving. Her eyes are clear now, and her scent is sweet. What can I help with?”

“Wipe down the coffee table.” I ran a dish cloth under the tap, wrung it out, and tossed it at him. “Food is ready.”

Dylan made quick work of the coffee table, taking a couple extra minutes to wipe down some other dusty surfaces within reach and stacking the laundry baskets out of the way.

“Sammy, Ollie, come get some dinner,” he called.

I loaded up their plastic plates with a sliced square of the pancake, a scoop of eggs, and two strips of bacon each, adding butter and syrup for them. They were finished within a couple of minutes of sitting down at the coffee table.

“Dylan will get you more if you’re still hungry.”

I slipped away into Charlotte’s bedroom, where it was only her and Chico. “Are you ready for some food, querida?”

“Please. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t be here cooking for my kids.” Her cheeks were beautifully pink, but by her scent it was only embarrassment and not fever.

“I promise you, it’s my pleasure to help take care of your family.”

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